Placement Experience: Brand Communications Executive -Kingfisher PLC - Barney Hogg

How did you find your placement role? What support did you get from the Placement team?

I found the role through the University placement site, the company has taken Portsmouth University students before in the past with great success. As early as I could, I pursued CV advice from the Placement team at the University to ensure I was best representing myself to potential employers to give me the best chance I could in such a competitive market. This was super helpful, and after a short hour or two my CV had been completely revamped!

Can you describe the process of applying for placement roles? E.g. how many you applied to, if you had a system or sought support from anyone.

I started applying for roles before my second year even began as I knew how tough it would be to stand out anyway, let alone if I were to leave it even later. The job I landed with Kingfisher, I applied for in August 2024 and didn’t hear back from until February. I likely applied for more than most, as I branched out from Graphic Design into Marketing and other applicable roles, after spending some time identifying my transferable skills given my experience.

Did you have any concerns or uncertainties about taking a placement year, and how did you address them?

As Marketing was a sector I had never directly worked in or had any experience in before, I suffered from impostor syndrome both prior to and just after starting my placement. To best put my mind at ease, I undertook a Google Skillshop course online called ‘The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing’, which gave me a general overview of the job and to an extent, what to expect. This helped massively, not just to put my mind at rest but practically. I still routinely find myself applying what I learned on that course in my day-to-day, making my work much more relaxed and streamlined.
Since then, I have also utilised LinkedIn Learning too during my free time to further my skills to help me not just here but in future employment. Don’t forget to add your certificates to your LinkedIn profile!

What tips would you give to students about balancing placement applications with university studies?

I made sure instead of randomly applying here and there when I felt like it, I dedicated one evening a week to checking for newly listed roles no matter what. This both took away the pressure and burnout of applying while guaranteeing I saw all roles I was interested in anyway within the absolute perfect time to apply. Then, the rest of the week I could fully focus on my studies. I also kept a master copy of my CV and Covering Letter to hand at all times on my computer to most effectively apply without selling myself short by missing information out.

Please tell us a bit about the company you work and your role?

A lot of what I do is creative projects, working with both internal and large external clients from across the globe to create various marketing campaigns for Castorama in Europe, and B&Q / Screwfix in the UK. It is a lot of fun, and I am given complete control over my creative decisions without anyone sniffing down my neck as long as I stick within the usual brand guidelines which are relatively loose anyway.
From day one I didn’t feel like a ‘newbie’ or singled out for it, my team was incredibly accommodating both culturally and work-wise, giving me actual tasks from the get-go others around me are doing, not making tea and coffee as I was worried would happen!
I have already taken part in a couple large team meets in the UK, but as about half of the company are based in France, in February we are heading over there instead of them coming to us. It is super exciting, but a bit daunting being given complete free reign but I am grateful they have so much trust in me as a team member.

What challenges have you faced during your placement, and how have you overcome them?

I routinely encounter lots of smaller challenges each day that I have to use my problem solving skills to respond to and fix effectively. Whether this is multiple overlapping projects with tight deadlines, helping my colleagues with technical problems whenever their computer isn’t behaving properly or simply planning my days and meetings around each other it all counts. That said, 4 months in and I still find myself asking questions which seem simple, but if done wrong can be much worse than just asking in advance - your colleagues would much rather spend 5 minutes explaining a task rather than you spend an entire day on it doing it wrong!
And don’t forget, even if you and your colleagues don’t know an answer, the internet and YouTube exists (but always check your sources!).

What has been the most rewarding part of your placement so far, and why?

Definitely the skills and small things I have picked up in such a short time frame with platforms I believed I had already mastered. I have been using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop daily for 6 years, and have learned more since September through adapting to workplace projects than I have in the past 4 years combined.
Getting practical experience in the real world is invaluable not just to your CV (although my portfolio is definitely shaping up incredibly nicely), but to your confidence in your own abilities. When I started, I was doubting my creative contributions to what seemed like such a set in stone creative vision, but now I have senior designers from completely different departments requesting I join their meetings to give my on the spot input!

Has your placement experience influenced your perspective on your chosen career path or field of study?

I believe it has, more so because I now have a plethora of transferable skills and networks that I will continue to work on and expand during my placement so that when I leave University I can stand out from the crowd. Whether it’s Marketing I go into, Graphic Design or even something completely different, there’s always something you can bring to a role that an employer will be willing to take a chance on you for. Don’t restrict yourself to your subject area, think outside the box!

Would you recommend the placement program to other students?

I could not recommend a placement enough to anyone from any course, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the University will be right there when you get back (plus alongside you while on placement, be it with the great support or the facilities that remain open to you during your year out).

What advice would you give to students considering the year placement?

My advice would: 

- Apply as early as possible, even if you’ve started late, yesterday was the best day to invest in yourself, today is the second best! I was still getting interviews in April from jobs I applied to in the New Year, so it’s still possible, just don’t leave it to the last minute.

- Apply for everything within reason, even if it’s a company you’ve never heard of, that doesn’t mean they aren’t an awesome employer and you might have the best year of your life, you never know where one simple application will take you.

- Keep track of where you apply, and when you have an interview dress nice, do some research on the company beforehand and have some answers prepared.

- Have a CV and Covering Letter ready to go at short notice, and the University Placement website is awesome, but there are also other platforms the University recommends too, so don’t be afraid to ask!

Finally, if you don’t get a placement, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not the end of the world, but if done right you can confidently walk away knowing you tried your best, without that ‘what if’ in the back of your mind. Good luck!